Biographies A-Z

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Kelly, John (Joseph)

Kelly, John (Joseph) (1936–2007), republican activist and paramilitary, was born in the New Lodge area of Belfast on 5 April 1936, one of five sons and four daughters of William Kelly, retail and wholesale fruiterer, and his wife Margaret (née Maginness). Living off Carlisle Circus…

Kelly, John Maurice

Kelly, John Maurice (1931–91), scholar, politician, and writer, was born 31 August 1931 in Dublin, eldest of three sons of Joseph Kelly, chief executive officer of the Agricultural Credit Corporation, from Co. Kerry, and May Kelly (née Boyle), civil servant, from Co. Mayo. John Kelly…

Kelly, (John William) Basil

Kelly, (John William) Basil (1920–2008), barrister, politician and judge, was born 10 May 1920 in Co. Monaghan, one of two children and the only son of Thomas William Kelly and Emily Frances Kelly (née Donaldson). After the family had been burnt out of their farm they moved to Belfast,…

Kelly, Kevin

Kelly, Kevin (1941–2012), businessman, was born John Kevin Kelly on 5 June 1941 in Westport Road, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, the son of John Kelly, a tax inspector of Castlebar, and his wife Mary (née Crowe). When he was five, his family moved to Cork city where he attended the Christian…

Kelly, Liam

Kelly, Liam (1922–2011) republican, Stormont MP and Irish senator, was born William Seán Kelly on 22 September 1922 in Dungannon, Co. Tyrone. His father, William, and grandfather Billy, had been active in republican politics. Liam joined the IRA during 1940 and was sentenced to two…

Kelly, Luke

Kelly, Luke (1940–84), folk singer, was born 17 November 1940 in Lattimore Cottages, Sheriff Street, Dublin, second child (and second son) among four sons and two daughters of Luke Kelly (1904–67), a factory worker with Jacob's biscuit manufacturers, and Julia Kelly (née Fleming). In…

Kelly, Margaret ('Miss Bluebell')

Kelly, Margaret ('Miss Bluebell') (1910–2004), show dancer, choreographer, and impresario, was born 24 June 1910 in the Rotunda hospital, Dublin, daughter (according to the birth certificate) of James Kelly, a tram conductor, of 14 Marlborough Street, and Margaret Kelly (née Ryan…

Kelly, (Mary Anne) Eva

Kelly, (Mary Anne) Eva (1830–1910), poet and nationalist, known as ‘Eva of the Nation’, was born 15 February 1830 at the home of her maternal grandfather John O'Flaherty in Headford, Co. Galway, one of seven children of Edward Kelly and Mary Kelly (née O'Flaherty) of…

Kelly, Matthew

Kelly, Matthew (1814–58), catholic priest and church historian, was born 24 September 1814 in Maudlin Street, Kilkenny, the eldest son of James Kelly and his wife, Margaret (née Sanphy). The Kellys were a clerical family: an uncle of Matthew, Patrick Kelly (1779–1829), was bishop of…

Kelly, Michael

Kelly, Michael (1850–1940), catholic archbishop of Sydney, was born 13 February 1850 in Waterford, the son of James Kelly of Camlin Woods, New Ross, Co. Wexford, and Mary Kelly (née Grant) of Glenmore, Co. Kilkenny. He was educated at the

Kelly, Michael

Kelly, Michael (1762–1826), actor, singer, and composer, was born 25 December 1762 in Dublin, eldest of the fourteen children of Thomas Kelly, wine merchant and deputy master of ceremonies at Dublin castle, and his wife, formerly a Miss McCabe, from Co. Westmeath. Displaying an…

Kelly, Michael

Kelly, Michael (1898/9–1937), republican and soldier in Spain, was born in Ballinasloe, Co. Galway. A member of the IRA, he was active in the Republican Congress in London in the 1930s and was on the editorial committee of its newspaper,…

Kelly, Myra (Teresa)

Kelly, Myra (Teresa) (1875–1910), writer and teacher, daughter of the surgeon Dr James Edward Kelly and Annie Kelly (née Morrogh), was born 26 August 1875 at her father's residence, 2 Gardiner's Row, Dublin. The family moved to New York city, where her father built up a successful…

Kelly, Oisín

Kelly, Oisín (1915–81), sculptor, was born Austin Ernest Kelly on 17 May 1915 in James Street, Dublin, elder of two children and only son of William Kelly, schoolteacher, and Elizabeth Kelly (née McLean). He attended St James's National School, where his father was headmaster, and later…

Kelly, Oliver

Kelly, Oliver (1777–1834), catholic archbishop of Tuam, was born at Crumore or Curraghmore, Toomard, near Ballinasloe, Co. Galway, the son of a tenant farmer. He attended the school of Laurence Duffy at Peterswell (in the diocese of Kilmacduagh) and then went to Spain to spend…

Kelly, (Patrick) Colm

Kelly, (Patrick) Colm (1925–2002), director of Athlone Drama Festival, was born 19 January 1925 in Dysart, Co. Roscommon, youngest son in a family of seven sons and one daughter of Denis Joseph Kelly and his wife Fanny Lucy (née Power or Le Poer), who was born in Devonshire, England…

Kelly, Richard

Kelly, Richard (1810–84), newspaper proprietor and local politician, was born at Loughrea, the son of Jasper Kelly and his wife, Frances (née Davis). The Kellys were a family of minor catholic gentry from Dunmore (near Loughrea); they transmitted the names ‘Jasper’ and ‘Richard’…

Kelly, Richard John

This is a co-subject for the entry on Kelly, Richard. View the original entry.

Kelly, Rosaline

Kelly, Rosaline (1922–2013), union official and media professional, was born on 27 November 1922 to Laurence Kelly, an insurance agent, and Ellen Kelly (née Fogarty) of 2 Sandyford Terrace, Drogheda, Co. Louth. Rosaline attended primary school at St Patrick's and St Philomena's in…

Kelly, Sarah

Kelly, Sarah (1801–56), landowner and murder victim, was born Sarah Birch in Ramsgate, Kent, England, sixth child of John Birch, husbandman and innkeeper, and his wife Elizabeth. At the age of 15 she was seduced by Joshua Paul Meredith, an Anglo-Irish gentleman who took her to…

Kelly, Thomas

Kelly, Thomas (1868–1942), politician and book dealer, was born 13 September 1868 in Dublin, son of Isaac Kelly, waiter, and Sarah Kelly (née Pitts), of Townsend St., Dublin. Educated intermittently at CBS Westland Row (1874–86), he…

Kelly, Thomas

Kelly, Thomas (1793?–1835), archbishop of Armagh, was born in south-east Tyrone. His upbringing is obscure. In August 1814 he entered Maynooth seminary, and rapidly showed great academic prowess. Ordained to the diocese of Armagh on 23 September 1820 by Archbishop…

Kelly, Thomas

Kelly, Thomas (c.1795–1841), engraver in line and stipple, was born in Dublin (nothing is known of his parents) and was active in the Dublin Society of the Arts. In 1799 an etching titled ‘Union Street, or Ease and plenty’ was published by Williamson of Grafton St., Dublin…

Kelly, Thomas

Kelly, Thomas (1769–1855), clergyman and founder of the Kellyite sect, was born 13 July 1769 at Kellyville, near Athy, Co. Kildare, son of the Rt Hon. Thomas Kelly, judge in the court of common pleas; nothing is known of his mother. Thomas junior…

Kelly, Thomas Christopher (‘T. C.’)

Kelly, Thomas Christopher (‘T. C.’) (1917–85), composer and music teacher, was born in December 1917 in Wexford town, the fifth of six children of James Kelly, baker, and Margaret Kelly (née Redmond). His schooling took place at the local